Archive for year: 2014

Here are the top ten things to see and do while you are visiting Bahrain. It’s a small island country off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf. Bahrain is home to the Dilmun (Telmun) civilization which is one of the oldest in the region. You will find lots of historical and archaeological ruins scattered around the country.

10. Bab Al Bahrain and Manama Souq – This is the largest souq or traditional market in Bahrain. You can bargain hunt for spices, traditional clothes, pottery, arts and crafts and electronics here.

9. Tree Of Life – It’s a huge old soul in the middle of the desert.

8. Bahrain National Museum – Learn about the wonderful traditions of Bahrain and its ancient Dilmun past.

7. World Trade Centre – Shop, eat and sleep in one of Manama City’s most iconic buildings.

6. Al Fateh Grand Mosque – This is the largest mosque in Bahrain and is open to non-Muslims for daily visits. Learn about Islam and how the magnificent mosque was built.

5. Royal Camel Farm – The farm is also a stable to His Excellency’s prized camels.

4. Saar Archaeological Site – Visit the ruins of one of the Dilmun civilization’s cities.

3. Qal’at Al Bahrain – Bahrain Fort is a vast ancient fortified city that overlooks the Gulf. Meander through the court yards and enter the deep traditional homes where you’ll find modern artistic tributes to culture.

2. Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre – Meet local artisans and buy their crafts directly. The centre is located in a restored traditional Bahraini house.

1. Al Areen Wildlife Park – Visit the conservation park to see the regions most amazing animals in a natural setting.

Hello beautiful people! It’s been quite a while since I last travelled. The United Arab Emirates celebrated National Day on December 2nd and my employer gave us 3 days off during the week. I wasn’t planning on leaving the country but then the itch started one evening as I was dreamily gazing out my apartment window.

So, I booked my 45-minute flight (!) and 5-star hotel room (I like to spend more on hotels when I travel alone because it makes me feel safer) and I was off to a similar-yet-different Middle Eastern Gulf country.

Bahrain had a drier climate than the UAE’s but it was about the same sub-tropical temperature. Clear blue skies and warm breezes would make the daytime highs enviable to anyone whose experienced a Canadian winter.

I spent 3 full days in Manama City, Bahrain and tried to do as many touristy things as possible. Through the hotel’s front desk I was able to hire an unlicensed taxi (driven by Indians and Pakistanis) to take me around for much cheaper than the metered cabs (driven by Bahrainis).

He took me to Manama Souq (market) where I could haggle a decent price for a SIM card. I needed one for emergencies and to get in touch with my driver when I would be ready to be picked up. I didn’t stay at the souq for very long because I wanted to get to the Tree Of Life.

I’d read about this mysterious wonder-flora and its claim to fame as being the only tree in the area and as an ancient Dilmun civilization ritual site. So once we got there I was awed and disappointed at the same time. It was a big, big tree in the middle of a desert and oil pipelines and makeshift local camping sites. It’s a beautiful tree but it’s just a tree. The driver said they light it up at night and people camp around it.

Unfortunately, Tree Of Life has been damaged by people’s scribbles on its branches. It also felt extremely remote and desolate. I felt as though my driver, the 2 random men (caretakers??) and I were the last people on Earth.

The best part about the journey to see Tree Of Life was the anticipation.

[map width=”200″ height=”200″ lat=”26.0572″ long=”50.6164″ zoom=”8″]

Hello beautiful people! It's been quite a while since I last travelled. The United Arab Emirates celebrated National Day on December 2nd and my employer gave us 3 days off during the week. I wasn't planning on leaving the country but then the itch started one evening as I was dreamily gazing out my apartment window. I opened Google Maps and Skyscanner and did a quick check of short-haul flights in the Middle East. BAHRAIN came up. Safe - yes. Warm - yes. Historical and culturally aware - yes. Cheap flights - YES! So, I booked my 45-minute flight (!) and 5-star hotel room (I like to spend more on hotels when I travel alone because it makes me feel safer) and I was off to a similar-yet-different Middle Eastern Gulf country. Bahrain had a drier climate than the UAE's but it was about the same sub-tropical temperature. Clear blue skies and warm breezes would make the daytime highs enviable to anyone whose experienced a Canadian winter. I spent 3 full days in Manama City, Bahrain and tried to do as many touristy things as possible. Through the hotel's front desk I was able to hire an unlicensed taxi (driven by Indians and Pakistanis) to take me around for much cheaper than the metered cabs (driven by Bahrainis). He took me to Manama Souq (market) where I could haggle a decent price for a SIM card. I needed one for emergencies and to get in touch with my driver when I would be ready to be picked up. I didn't stay at the souq for very long because I wanted to get to the Tree Of Life. I'd read about this mysterious wonder-flora and its claim to fame as being the only tree in the area and as an ancient Dilmun civilization ritual site. So once we got there I was awed and disappointed at the same time. It was a big, big tree in the middle of a desert and oil pipelines and makeshift local camping sites. It's a beautiful tree but it's just a tree. The driver said they light it up at night and people camp around it. Unfortunately, Tree Of Life has been damaged by people's scribbles on its branches. It also felt extremely remote and desolate. I felt as though my driver, the 2 random men (caretakers??) and I were the last people on Earth. The best part about the journey to see Tree Of Life was the anticipation. [map width="200" height="200" lat="26.0572" long="50.6164" zoom="8"]

Tree Of Life Bahrain

Tree Of Life Bahrain

2014-12-20

NapturalBornTraveller

Would you like to visit the Tree Of Life?

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One of my dreams is to play mas (participate) in EVERY SINGLE Caribbean Carnival in a year. Besides that, I’d like to go to Jamaica’s (in)famous Dream Weekend and party in other non-Carnival Caribbean events. Back in the day it was known as ATI Dream Weekend but Appleton Rum pulled out of it. So now Smirnoff keeps the feters fetein’ for almost a week of non-stop fetes! It’s like a huge rave but with Dancehall Reggae tunes. Here’s the schedule for next year. To book tickets (wristbands) and package tours feel free to visit our favourite Caribbean entertainment and tour guide CARIFRIQUE.

[quote]Just a number one champion sound, yeah Estelle we bout to get down. Who the hottest in the world right now? Just touched down in London Town…[/quote]

Estelle and Kanye’s collab was playing nonstop in my head as our Etihad Airways jet glided over City of London and landed at Heathrow Airport. I was ready and happy to be dragged around by my sister-friend Duddy for my 22-hour layover. I really wish I could tell you that her and I went to fetes that sell off and tun up…alas no. How much could one see after only having abdominal surgery 2 weeks prior??

Was I in pain? Definitely! But I was being gently towed by Duddy with a humungus smile on my face. I was in LONDON gaddammit!

We managed to model in Piccadilly Circus, eat digusting Vietnamese pho ga in Chinatown, drink grassy healthy stuff in SoHo, ride the #8 double decker bus to East London, catch up on gossip until the early hours of the morning, take selfies by Big Ben and Trafalgar Square, see a marathon, eat an English Breakfast, save a Russian tourist from almost getting 50 pounds Sterling stolen, ride the tube to LHR and have Duddy urge me to take advantage of getting pushed in Heathrow’s fancy purple wheelchairs.

Al Maryah Island – formerly Sowwah Island – is poised to become Abu Dhabi’s answer to bustling Wall Street. Walking over the short bridge that connects Maryah Island to Reem Island gives one the impression that they may be the only person on Earth. It is a wonderfully peaceful place that buzzes with the anticipation of something great.

The action on Maryah Island lies at Galleria Mall – a luxurious shopping haven dedicated to feeding your appetite for the world’s exclusive fashion and dining. It was nice to stroll along the boardwalk outside the mall where the view of Abu Dhabi city is breathtaking.

Next to Galleria Mall is the largest steel structure in the United Arab Emirates known as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. It’s a huge, modern building which has recently opened to the public.

Al Maryah Island provides joggers and walkers a great place to stretch and sweat without the crowds. And I do look forward to seeing the completed phases of the master plan.

I’m slowly getting accustomed to living in the United Arab Emirates’ capital of Abu Dhabi. Just yesterday, my newest friend, an Emirates-based Sudanese-Ethiopian woman, taught me how to speak like a local.

“It’s bu DAABI. Not a BU DAA bi“, she said.

And yallah can mean ‘come’, ‘go’, ‘let’s get out of here’ or ‘move away from me’ depending on the context. Good to know. Last week some of my Grade 11 students taught me how to say the numbers, body parts and colours in Arabic. They are supposed to test me this week.

Yesterday was Saturday – the last day of the weekend. It’s going to be tough getting used to having Fridays and Saturdays off. I still think Saturday is a ‘proper’ Sunday.

My friend and guide took me and another new expat to get inked. It’s not as permanent as a regular tattoo but you can get a wide choice of designs drawn on any part of your body.

It took about 2 hours for the entire process of choosing a design, getting it painted on and drying. Most salons in the city are banned from doing it because this particular type of henna has carcinogens. I was happy with the design and it shows up beautifully on my chocolate skin but…let’s just say that this may be the first and last time I get it done.

I’m usually one to research new things I place in and on my body. Because I thought it was simply an indigo dye like the one I colour my hair with I thought everything would be just fine. Until the other expat (she got her legs inked in a gorgeous lace-like pattern) started to complain of itching. I can be a hypochondriac when I put my mind to it. My hand started itching too. Not much but is it all in my head?? It might be but I bought some hydrogen peroxide to wipe off some of it – just in case!

After the henna salon, we drove to Madinat Zayed Gold Souq. I love silver but I think I’m in super love with gold now. You can customize any piece you want and the prices are all very reasonable. The merchants expect you to haggle for the best price. You can also try on as much as you want.

That necklace set in the pic above will be mine for $12,000 CAD. I swear I’ll dream about it every day and my prince will deliver it to me.

Last but not least is another discovery – almost as pleasant as the Gold Souq – but less painful on the wallet. Mangosteen is my new mango. I mean I LOVE mango. Mangosteen is not a mango at all. But it gives me the same sweet and tangy satisfaction. Protect your clothes, get a sharp knife, cut the thick skin and voila – yummy white soft seeds that melt in your mouth!!! Try eating the bitter purple skin for more antioxidant benefits too.

Halas (another great Arabic word meaning finished, enough or stop)! Yesterday started sweetly and ended real sweet! Stay tuned for more adventures from the Naptural Born Traveller!

This weekend (Friday and Saturday in the United Arab Emirates) was a hot one! The daytime high averaged around 40 degree Celsius. People tell me this is only the beginning!

Abu Dhabi is situated on the Arabian Gulf and includes an archipelago of man-made and true islands. They are fairly close to one another and joined by bridges. Yas Island is famous for its Formula One race track (The Fast And Furious franchise was filming on the track while we were in the hotel next door but no one had access – boo hoo)

My friends invited me to laze around with them at Park Inn by Radisson’s pool on the island. Apparently, all you need to do is go to any hotel and ask for a day pass for access to pools and alcohol! Know the right folks and you’ll get discounts too 🙂

The latter part of the weekend brought me inside the new Galleria Mall on Al Maryah Island. It’s a high-end luxury shopping centre that is practically void of shoppers but has an amazing view of Abu Dhabi. I highly suggest Godiva Cafe for people-watching and live piano music.

I used to think that Tokyo had dibs on public cleanliness, sleek luxury, materialism and skyscrapers. Sorry to bust your bubble Edo, Abu Dhabi beat you on all of those points! Public bathrooms that are so well-kept that you wouldn’t mind eating in them. Workers to re-sweep and re-wipe floors and windows, hour after hour…Abu Dhabi is a beautiful city.

Have you visited Abu Dhabi? What would you like to see while you’re here?

It’s been a few days since I touched down in the Middle Eastern country of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). Abu Dhabi, the vast, arid capital city, is where I’ll be calling home. I’ve had butterflies fluttering in my stomach for weeks now – filled with excitement, anticipation and wonder.

Yesterday, in an attempt to ward off my jet lag, I woke up early and took a taxi to Abu Dhabi Mall. I ended up spending a bit too much money (200 AED = 60 CAD) on the Big Bus Tours thanks to skilled sales staff and my miscalculation of the U.A.E. dirham to dollar conversion!! Oh well. The fare gives you 24-hour access to the bus route with unlimited hopping on and off at their designated bus stops.

The route meandered through Abu Dhabi island and the suburbs. We passed Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Marina Mall, the Corniche and Emirates Palace Hotel, to name a few.

The photos above are only a teaser of what’s to come! I’ll be updating regularly so stay tuned!

Turtle-nesting season began last week in Trinidad. We drove from San Juan through lots of winding country roads to Matura, on the eastern (Atlantic Ocean) side of the island to spot the leatherback sea turtle night egg-laying trek.

After a seemingly long 10-minute drive under thick jungle canopy, we emerged out of the dim moonlit parking lot. My cousin and I were the last to arrive in our group so the park ranger led us down the gravel track to the beach. He explained that although leatherback turtles can see red light, they will not feel threatened by it. White light from mobile phones, standard flashlights and cameras are considered threats by leatherback turtles. While they are swimming to shore they will be wary of white lights and swim back into the ocean, thus interrupting the natural nesting season. With that said, we quickly turned off our phones.

Once we caught up to our group by the beach, we were greeted by pleasant ocean mist and a starry sky. The second park ranger explained that when his colleague – who was standing about 6oo metres down the beach – signalled his red light, we could proceed. Since it was only the beginning of the nesting season, there were only about 5 leatherback turtles expected that night.

Patience is a virtue and the group mused that humans cannot force nature in any way without consequences. We waited, star-gazed and chatted amongst one another for over an hour. When we saw the colleague’s red flashes, we excitedly walked towards him while carefully dodging driftwood in the loose sand.

It was very dark so most of us couldn’t even tell that just a few metres in front of us lay a huge leatherback turtle! As we squinted we could begin to see her outline in the sand. The ranger told us that we could only turn on white lights when she was actually laying her eggs.

We waited and chatted a bit more until the leatherback turtle dug her nesting hole and started to drop eggs. Finally! With an OK from our ranger, we formed a semi-circle facing her back, turned on our cameras and started ooooo-ing and awwww-ing at the beautiful ancient creature!

She was in an egg-laying trance so she didn’t move much. We gathered around her and gently patted her head and surprisingly soft shell. According to the ranger, the average number of eggs these turtles lay is 100 per night. They come back every 10 days or so to repeat the process until the end of the season in August.

Once she finished laying her eggs, we had to turn off our white lights and move away from her or else get splashed with sand. She was now camouflaging her nest so that predators would have a harder time finding it. One guy in our group turned his very bright white flashlight on (by accident), stumbled with the switch and took what seemed like hours to turn it back off. All you heard was a loud AYE! TURN OFF DE LIGHT NAH BOI! from the group.

With the light and tension, Ms. Turtle decided to linger and camouflage her nest far longer than most. So, instead of a couple of minutes we watched her for almost an hour dance around the beach making sure nothing would harm her nest. In the end, satisfied that she had done what any self-respecting mommy would do, she headed back to the ocean with slow determination.

We were speechless (a tough thing for Trinis to be) at the beauty of her waddling into the high waves with the half-moon light over her. It was awesome!

Last Sunday, my cousin took me for a drive through Trinidad’s Northern Range mountains via a narrow, winding road to Lopinot Village. We passed all shades of lush green vines, trees and bushes along the road. The clean, cool air was a welcome change from the stuffiness in the city.

The spectacularly remote, cute village of Lopinot is home to year-round parang music and a beautiful historical complex. The weekend is the best time to take your family down to Lopinot village for clean air and a relaxing river lime under the grand old trees.

Here’s parts of an article by Louis B. Homer in the Trinidad Express newspaper from June 2013:

[quote]…It has a history of its own dating back to the early 19th century and a culture that includes lifestyles of Amerindian inhabitants, cocoa panyol, Spanish, French, African and East Indian inhabitants.
Almost without exception, the people of Lopinot live by agriculture and livestock farming.
Their meeting places are the shops, parlours, drinking places, schools, churches, and a community centre, all of which provide opportunities for dialogue and self-expression among villagers.
English is spoken side by side with Spanish and patois.
Aesthetically, the towering hills, steep cliffs and the Arouca River, which flows peacefully through the village until it merges with the Caroni River, are nature’s gifts to the village.
The lands which once formed the estate of Charles Joseph Comte de Lopinot have been subdivided into several small holdings to provide spaces for housing and recreational facilities.
Although the Lopinot of today is different from what existed in the 19th century, there are still many repositories of its past heritage that add charm and history to the village.
The village owes its name to Comte de Lopinot, a former Knight of the Royal and Military Order of St Louis.
When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, Count Lopinot was still a powerful French planter and when the English took possession of his former home at Dominique, he fled to Jamaica with his family and later to Trinidad.
With the help of former governor Thomas Picton, suitable lands were granted to Lopinot to cultivate sugarcane. When it was discovered that the soils were not suitable for sugarcane, the Count turned to cacao. With help from his slaves, Lopinot cut through the dense forest until they found lands suitable for growing cacao.
Lopinot obviously had his dream fulfilled when he found what he was searching for. Standing on the hilltop he marvelled at the natural wonderland below and decided to call his newly acquired estate La Reconnaissance.
Following his find, he developed the lands into one of the most beautiful estates in the valley. But when the price of cacao fell, Lopinot was unable to pay his debts.
Legend has it that his demise came about while returning from Arouca, in a landslide that carried him down a cliff and half-buried him. He died in 1819 and was interred next to his wife, Marie Cecile Dannoy, who had died before him.
The death of Lopinot was the beginning of a period of change in the valley. By 1845 there was a migration of East Indians into the village. They occupied an area called “Coolie Block”. Then came Portuguese and Chinese immigrants. By 1890 Lopinot was no longer a slave settlement; the estates in the valley were then owned by people of Asian and African descent.
Apart from the historic relics of La Reconnaissance, there is the church of St Phillips, built by Richard Foreman Brown, popularly known as “Pa Brown”. He was the first pastor and founder of St Phillips Anglican Church, also known as “Slave Chapel”.
The village has a historic connection with Caura, a small village on the other side of the hills.
Caura in those days was called Partido de Quare, it had a Catholic church dedicated to St Veronica. In 1945 there were plans to construct a dam in that village to supply water to Port of Spain and the villagers would have to vacate the land and be relocated to Lopinot.
The villagers were opposed to the idea because it was their ancestral homes. The evacuation order was dated October 31, 1945, and on November 4, the church was dynamited in the presence of the villagers and parish priest Fr Kieran Lennon.
In a fit of emotion, Lennon said: “This dam will never be completed.”
Such was the curse left behind as the villagers left Caura and trekked to Lopinot. Indeed, the Caura dam was never completed and was written off as a bad job.
It was not so much the loss of their ancestral homes that angered the villagers, but the ruthless demolition of their old church which had been the centre of communal life for many years. The remains of St Veronica’s church were transported in parts by the people of Caura and rebuilt at Lopinot.
Culturally, the villagers from Caura continue their musical traditions—parang music, maypole dancing and Veloria de Cruz (Cross Wake).
Sotero Gomez and “Papa Goon” became heroes in the cultural arena.
Like other villages in rural Trinidad, Lopinot is not without its own share of magic and superstition. Bits and pieces of this can still be found throughout the village.
Here and there, one cannot fail to notice the conspicuous presence of upturned blue bottles perched on slender bamboo sticks. These bottles serve two purposes. They are supposed to offer protection of crops against maljo (bad eye), as well as a warning to thieves that if they consume fruits from those gardens they would immediately suffer from “swell belly”.
But there is more to Lopinot. There are the known and unexplored caves around the village. The most celebrated is at Genville, about two kilometres north-east of Lopinot settlement. It was discovered by George Emmanuel Jeanville, an ex-slave who lived in the area many years ago.
Another popular cave is the Jaraba cave, a corruption of Yoruba, an African people who had settled in the area after Emancipation.
West of the village and across the hills from Caura is the Colado cave. It was once the shrine used by devout worshippers who went there on special occasions to make offerings and prayers.
Beyond the village centre there is the quaint village called La Pastora. Overlooking the area there is a small Catholic church which once housed a statue of La Divina Pastora. In earlier years the statue was taken in procession along the main road leading to the village.
Altogether, Lopinot is a tourist paradise set in an environment of the past and even the present. A place where many people have visited in search of many things. Of history and culture.
Some have found what they sought while others have found an incomparable place, rich in history and traditions of the past. [/quote]